Do air purifiers make you more sensitive?

Have you ever wondered if your exposure to bad air, dust and particles from smoke, is making you more sensitive to the world around you?

Air purifiers have been a popular remedy for those with allergies or sensitivities to allergens. In fact, some people have been led to believe that exposure to poor indoor air quality can actually be responsible for triggering their symptoms."

This post aims at answering what is really going on and whether air purifiers make you more sensitive and if so why. It also looks into the various methods of treating specific sensitivity like pollen allergies or pet dander allergies.

"Air Purifiers do not make you more sensitive to using them, in fact, using air purifiers can help calm your allergy symptoms."

Sensitive? Or Not?

On one hand air purifiers, especially HEPA filters, are very effective at cleaning up indoor air which can be very polluted. They remove dust and smoke particles which are responsible for triggering allergies in many people. However it has also been suggested that some people who use an air purifier experience increased sensitivity to their environment.

It is true that the body is sensitive to its homeostatic equilibrium and will react to any change in environmental stimulus. This is where the confusion lies amongst users of air purifiers who feel that their sensitivities have gotten worse with use of an air purifier. The key here is that the body perceives the environment differently once it has been exposed to clean fresh air from an air purifier.

You can liken this to a person who has been away from home for a long time. When the person returns home, the body reacts to that change in environment and can produce stronger reactions like sneezes and itchy eyes. The body is reacting to the changing environment (coming back home) and is fighting against it.

Many users of air purifiers have felt the same kind of symptom relief as they do when coming back from a vacation or fresh air sojourn.

Start Using Air Purifiers

When users first start using an air purifier, the body will react and produce more allergy and sensitivity symptoms than before using an air purifier. Once the body has adjusted to the changes in environment and cleansed itself of excess pollens and dusts, sensitivity abates and in some cases is eliminated.

Another way an air purifier can be thought of is as a vacuum cleaner for your home. When you first use it, there will be more particles floating around than before you started using it. You will notice that you seem dirtier than before since particles that were already there are now circulating around in the air instead of being trapped by furniture or other items on the floor.

With time your body will adjust to this new equilibrium and you will become less aware of the particles flying around since your body no longer reacts so strongly to them or feels so bad when they enter your lungs.

To summarize, air purifiers will not cause sensitivity but they can increase the sensitivity to allergies for a short period of time due to the body reacting to changes in environment.

Common allergens

Now lets look at ways you can treat specific types of sensitivity to common allergens.

If you are allergic or sensitive to pollen, one way to address it is through allergy shots. These are subcutaneous injections that slowly introduce you to larger amounts of the allergen over time. This gradually desensitizes your immune system so that you build up tolerance against that allergen. If your allergies are very bad then this may not be an option for you.

Another way to treat pollen allergies is with a neti pot. A neti pot is a small teapot looking device that you fill with salt water and rinse your nose and sinuses out with. This method flushes out pollen particles before they enter your lungs and cause an allergic reaction. Do not use tap water as this may contain chemicals that could be harmful to your sinuses.

Homeopathic solutions

Homeopathic solutions can also help those with allergies and sensitivities but it is critical that you find a good practitioner for those who truly understand those methods. The criticism of those methods by traditional medicine is too broad and does not focus on the specific issues or causes of sensitivity in individuals. Whatever the case, it is important to find someone who understands the science involved in how plants work and how they are used medicinally.

Pet dander

Pet dander allergy is another sensitivity that can be treated with homeopathic remedies. Pet dander comes from dogs and cats. It is estimated that about 10% of dogs are reactive to it. You can purchase pet dander allergy remedies at any good holistic store or practiced homeopathically.

These are always made from organic ingredients and will work for you if your pet is causing you to react to them due to their specific oils or proteins they carry with them when they come in contact with you.

Vitamins

Vitamin supplements can also be effective for treating allergies and sensitivities. Many of the major vitamin companies make homeopathic equivalents in capsule form. These are usually marketed towards pets but can be taken by anyone with sensitivity to allergens. I generally recommend that people take their vitamin treatments when they first feel symptoms worsening or if they feel like they are getting sick more often than usual. Once you begin to notice improvement this may be too late to take it regularly.

Specific foods

Some people seem to get rid of their allergies by consuming specific foods. There is no hard science behind this but some people report that they have gotten rid of their problems by eating certain foods or avoiding them altogether.

For example some people say they can eat strawberries without any problems but apples always seem to worsen their problems. So they avoid apples and become fine. Other people report that dairy products give them trouble so they avoid them and feel better.

Some people avoid foods and beverages with any kind of gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats) allergy. This seems like a viable option if you find yourself reacting to many foods.

There is also some research that suggests that garlic can improve immune function and therefore help with allergies and sensitivity problems. It also appears to have some minor anti-viral properties as well so it may be a good choice for those that suffer from viral infections or colds.

In case studies it was discovered that garlic reduced the severity of the symptoms in children with severe allergies by half after being given for several days.

Where You Live

Another thing to consider is where you live. The land and water can play a major role in how susceptible you are to allergens and the level of sensitivity you will experience over time. If you live in a clean and healthy environment your chances of getting allergies or becoming sensitive is lower than if you live in a dirty and unhealthy environment.

This is probably because the body has less exposure to pollutants and allergens which reduces the stress on the immune system to react against them. You should also consider moving away from an area if it is too polluted or contains large amounts of allergens all year long.

If you are already sensitive, moving away from it may not help so much since the environment is still contributing to your sensitivity. If you can't move, at least try to clean up the air in your home and not smoke cigarettes around them.

Pets

If you don't suffer from allergies or sensitivities but your pets do, there are some things you can do to help them with their issues. Pets can suffer from some of the same diseases as people but they may also be more sensitive to allergens or develop illnesses that are unique to them that require more specific treatment.

One of the most common allergies is flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) which occurs in both dogs and cats. Cats and dogs with FAD will often have itchy skin and scratch themselves to the point where they develop sores and scabs.

If this happens to your pet then you should bathe it with a shampoo that is specifically made for flea allergies such as Advantage or Frontline. Then if necessary add some cream such as hydrocortisone on the areas of sores or scabs to help with desensitization.

If your pets develop ear infections from bacterial or yeast infections, you should use otic products such as Otikon, Tresaderm or Naxcel. These are homeopathic preparations that are safe for use in cats and provide good results in most cases of acute ear infections.

Conclusion

Allergies and sensitivities are a large problem all over the world and the bad news is that there is no treatment for this disease. However, we can still take steps to help reduce our exposure to things that may cause us to react and we can use homeopathic remedies to treat our symptoms when they do occur. The best way for any of us to prevent these diseases from occurring is to take action now so we don't have to take them on later in life.

Air Purifiers do not make you more sensitive to anything and in fact they take in clean air and release the air that is inside the device. This way it is much more clean than what you would normally breathe in.